Kureman Imperial Air Force
The Kureman Imperial Air Force (KIAF) is the fastest growing and most important of the three branches of the Kureman Armed Forces, as well as the oldest air force in the world. It has the world's most technologically advanced war planes, giving the Kureman military wide power projection capabilities. The KIAF is estimated to possess 7,500 manned aircraft as well as 4,000 active duty personnel. Mission * Search and Rescue: The KIAF is responsible for general search and rescue operations where allied militants and/or civilians are stranded and lost. The Kureman Rescue Coordination Center is crucial to maximizing the efficiency of SAR operations. * Air Sovereignty: The skies have always been important to Kurema, thus KIAF's duties include maintaining control of the nation's airspace. * Airlift: Due to the advantages that aircraft bring, KIAF is often responsible for long-distance logistics. * Irregular Warfare: With the evolution of war, air forces were seen to be the greatest advantage to counter insurgencies. If there was an insurgency against Kurema, KIAF would lead or support strikes against insurgents. History .]] The KIAF was originally formed as the Kureman 1st Army, later to be more adequately named as the Imperial Guard, responsible for providing security against airborne wyverns that pose a threat to the safety of Kureman society. Kuremans captured, tamed and bred wild wyverns for the purpose of security, despite the controversy surrounding the original plan. The wyvern-mounted sentinels gradually evolved into a military unit, involved in campaigns, both internal and external, throughout Kurema's history. The Industrial Revolution saw the modernization of the Imperial Guard and prompted its renaming to the Kureman Imperial Air Force. The wyvern cavalries that Kurema became famous (or infamous) for were phased out due to the overall advantages presented in using aircraft over aerial cavalry. Personnel thumb|250px|right|Recruitment video of the Kureman Imperial Air Force The chain of command of the Kureman Imperial Air Force is typical of most air forces: Commissioned officers * Marshal of the Air Force (OF-10) * Chief Air Marshal (OF-9) * Air Marshal (OF-8) * Air Vice-Marshal (OF-7) * Air Commodore (OF-6) * Group Captain (OF-5) * Wing Commander (OF-4) * Squadron Leader (OF-3) * Flight Lieutenant (OF-2) * Flight Officer (OF-1) Other ranks * Senior Warrant Officer (OR-9) * Warrant Officer (OR-8) * Flight Sergeant (OR-7) * Sergeant (OR-6) * No equivalent rank (OR-5) * Corporal (OR-4) * Senior Airman (OR-3) * Airman (OR-1) Aircraft inventory Air superiority fighter The H-11 Lightning serves as the primary fighter-of-choice for Kurema's air superiority fighters. It boasts fourth-generation stealth technology. It has an estimated Mach 1.85 top speed, without entering supercruise mode, using two afterburners at sea level. Although it has been designed as an air superiority fighter, the H-11 is capable of handling ground assault, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence. It has three internal weapons bays, capable of holding eight ranged missiles; six compressed medium range missiles in the central main bay and two short range missiles in the side bays. Although the weapons armament is smaller than typical aircraft, the H-11's design allows it to be virtually undetectable by modern radar and sensors. To compensate for the smaller armament, external hardpoints allow the H-11 to harness extra weaponry at the cost of stealth and maneuverability. Because of its high performance specifications, Kurema placed a ban on its export outside of the country. Multirole combat aircraft The J-07 Wyvern was the fourth-generation all-purpose fighter-of-choice for Kureman operations before the deployment of the H-11. It was capable of achieving Mach 1.2 at sea level, rivaling the speed of the H-11. However, the J-07 Wyvern has been in Kureman service for almost forty years, thus has limited weaponry in comparison. It was outfitted with a 20mm gatling gun, two external hard points on the wing tips, six under the wings and three under-fuselage pylons, for a total of eleven hard points. Only one pilot is needed to operate a J-07. The J-07 Wyverns are in the process of being converted to be able to operate more like a bomber, as the J-07B Wyverns. UAV The HR-02 Maw is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of being armed with missiles. It has seven hard points, and can be equipped with up to fourteen Hellfire air-to-ground missiles. However, the primary purpose of the HR-02 Maw is unmanned aerial reconnaissance. It is equipped with sensors and a targeting system to operate in both roles. The HR-02 Maw was quick to be recognized for its lethality in comparison to its lack of crew, and was seen as a threat equal to, if not greater than, a conventional combat aircraft. Surveillance aircraft The U-2 is a high-altitude, all-weather surveillance aircraft used primarily to reconnoiter regions where UAVs cannot safely survey. Though unarmed, the U-2 has advanced sensors to detect hostile weapons systems that have launched missiles at it to be able to perform necessary evasive maneuvers as quickly as possible due to its limited maneuverability. It has been in service for fifty years. Cargo plane The C-20 Aerocarrier is a cargo plane designed to transport large and heavy cargo. The cargo hold is large and durable enough to carry a main battle tank, though capable of carry a large load of smaller goods. The maximum body capacity for soldiers is 102-134 men, depending on the kind of seats utilized, or 36 litter and 54 ambulatory medical patients. The minimal crew consists of two pilots and a load master. The Aerocarrier is often used for humanitarian purposes. Air tanker The FR-10 Extender is an air-to-air tanker aircraft used to provide aerial refueling to KIAF aircraft. The crew of an FR-10 Extender includes a pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, and boom operator: a total of four people. It is capable of refueling two squadrons of fighters before running low on fuel designated for refueling purposes. Airborne command and control aircraft The E-5 Sentinel serves as the aerial command and control aircraft of the Kureman Imperial Air Force, capable of receiving, organizing and transmitting orders to units within a large radius around it. It requires a flight crew of four, as well as thirteen to nineteen mission crew to operate the equipment installed on-board the aircraft. Since it is unarmed and not designed for complex evasive maneuvers, the E-5 Sentinel often requires an escort when entering a potentially hostile airspace. It is distinguished by the large ovular external disc used to increase the range of radar equipment as well as filter out static radio frequencies. Category:Articles by LaviBookman Category:Military of Kurema